Course of Operation

What precedes the excimer laser operation

Each patient interested in being operated has to undergo complex examination using special diagnostic instruments. On the basis of the examination we can decide whether the operation is suitable. Everyone who is interested in has to be at least 18 years old and his dioptric error has to be stabilised. During two to three weeks prior to the operation you must not wear soft contact lenses and at least four weeks before you must not wear hard ones. Both eyes can be operated at either a time or the eyes can be done separately with arbitrary time interval. The decision is made by the specialist after the complex examination in accordance with patient's reguirements.
Most suitable patients for the operation are nearsighted ones having less than -10 diopters, farsighted having less than +4 diopters. With the NIDEK EC-5000 and SCHWIND ESIRIS excimer lasers we can operate minus astigmatism too. The decision whether the operation is appropriate is done after the examination.

Course of operation

The operation is performed on the outpatient basis and is completely painless. Before the operation anesthetic drops are given to numb the eye. The eye will be totally numb and the patient won't feel any pain.
Patient will be given instruction about where and how to look during the surgical procedure. The operation is performed in a reclining position and it lasts about 10 minutes. The laser operates 10 to 40 seconds depending on the dioptric value. Our excimer laser is equipped with active eye-tracking. Thus, by minimal motion of eye the instrument tracks the eye and so ensures the precision of surgical procedure. In case of sharp motion of the eye it turns off the laser beam. Following the procedure contact lens or bandage will be applied.

Following animations will help you to understand the principle of excimer laser operation (Macromedia Flash player required).

Postoperative course

Immediately after completion of the operation the patient can leave the clinic. We recomend to stay at home and relax three to five following days. Approximately 1-2 hours after operation anesthetic drops stop to be effective and the patient feels sharp, stinging pain. Its intensity is individual and it can be suppressed by accessible analgetics you can buy in your pharmacy. You will have your eye covered by bandage or contact lens applied for two or three days.
In the price of the operation there are four checks - 4^th..7^th day and 1^st, 3^rd and 6^th month after the operation - included. We do not recommend to visit the solarium and to work in places where welding takes place during the period of six months after the operation. You should use sun glasses of good quality with an UV filter to protect your eyes.

For a certain period after the operation your eye will be more sensitive to light, wind and touch. You can have a feeling that your eye is rather drier than normally as if it had less tears. However, these problems will gradually disappear. Sometimes during the day your vision can be slightly unstable. If you are 40 or more years old, you have to take into account you will need reading glasses either immediately or in a short time after the operation. Stabilization of cornea and thus final values of refraction come on in 3 to 6 months after operation.

Complications of laser procedure are rare and they occur only in a few percent. As far as they occur it is possible to solve them by applying adequate medicine or exceptionally by another operation. A considerable majority ot the complications mentioned above depends on the individual process of healing the corneal tissue.